Better Together: A Don't Starve Story
by JanetheWriter
Summary: The last thing Wilson P. Higgsbury wanted was his only true friend to join him in the monster filled, fear inducing world he was thrust into by Maxwell. But when Kate Bennet shows up unexpectedly, the two must work together to find a way home. This story follows the main storyline of the game and will include cameos and appearances by some of the best characters in the game.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

* * *

 _ **Hello there. I have been playing a lot of Don't Starve Together lately, so story ideas started swarming in the ol' noggin. This will star Wilson Percival Higgsbury as he tries to get home from the nightmarish world that Maxwell has thrown him in. This will loosely follow the storyline set in the stand alone game, and will introduce a new character into the mix. Let me know how you like it by leaving a review! (I love reading them.) Enjoy!**_

* * *

"Checkmate." Professor Kate Bennet said with a smile. She grabbed her glass of water and drank a little, sitting back in her chair after her well-earned victory. "Better luck next time."

Wilson sat forward in his chair and ran a hand through his black hair, making it lay down flat for a second or two before popping back up in its normal messy fashion. He studied the board, trying to figure out how she had managed that move without him noticing. When he was satisfied that she hadn't cheated, he sighed and slumped in his chair, defeated. "Well, I concede, I suppose." He said and grabbed his tea, taking a sip.

Kate stood and straightened her light blue dress that fell just below her knees. She brushed a blond curl back behind her ear and held her hand out to him over the chessboard. "Good game, old sport." She said in a deep voice, imitating a man as a joke.

Wilson smiled and stood, shaking her hand. "You as will, Professor." He chuckled and straightened his red waist coat, which he always wore over a white shirt and paired with black pants.

After the match, the two walked away from the small café they always ate at on Tuesday afternoons. AS was their routine, they made their way to the park to enjoy a stroll. This was the one time Wilson left his little shack in the woods, in all honesty. No matter what invention or experiment he was working on, he would always make time for his luncheons with her.

Kate was his closest, and really only, friend. They had met while they attended the nearby University. He was studying Chemistry, she, Biology. They both became professors in their field and even worked in laboratories right next to one another at their alma mater.

Wilson, however was released from his position when his experiments were deemed too eccentric for the school board to allow. He was given a chance to bring his studies back to "real science", which he scoffed at. He cursed those "narrow minded fools" and left to prove them all wrong by working in his own lab, which ended up being in the attic of his home.

Wilson's family had also all but disowned him, leaving him friendless, almost penniless, and with little more than his scientific mind and passion to keep him going. Through it all, Kate stood by him and he appreciated her friendship more than anything else. It was rare to see a woman take so naturally to the sciences when they graduated in 1908, but Kate was well respected across the country, despite her continued relationship with a 'crackpot."

The two walked towards a bench, Wilson telling Kate about the new chemical tests he was working on as they sat. He spoke wildly and passionately, emphasizing each word with a gesture of his hand. "It'll work this time, Miss Kate. I know it will." He concluded with a smile.

Kate nodded with a sigh and a worried smile. She hated for him to get so excited, and then have it dashed away. It happened so often to her friend, and it broke her heart when his ideas didn't pan out. "Just… don't get your hopes too high, hm? If it doesn't work, just keep trying, alright?"

Wilson smiled at her. Though her skepticism hurt some, he knew she meant well. He'd show her and everyone that he truly was a genius.

* * *

Later that night, Wilson stood at his work bench in the attic of his home, a rundown cottage he purchased after he lost his job as a professor. He stood in the dull room, the floor worn out and dusty, and the walls covered in faded blue wallpaper. By lamplight, he carefully added a green chemical to his concoction. As soon as the droplet hit the surface, the chemicals reacted in an explosion, covering the young scientist's face with smoke and soot. He dropped the test tube on the table in defeat, before walking to his large chair that sat next to a table with a radio on it.

Flopping down and sinking into the cushions, the man sighed heavily. Another failure. Another disappointment. How was he to get ahead in the world of science if every idea he has ends in utter disaster. As he lamented over his latest experiment and what went wrong, he heard a voice chime in from the radio.

"Hey pal. Bad luck with that last experiment." It said. Wilson looked at it closely, his eyes wide in astonishment. "I can help you out. What do you say?"

"I say I have been working too hard…" Wilson said under his breath. Was he really having a conversation with his radio?

"You want to fail at everything you try at your whole life?" The radio asked. "'Course not. I have some secret knowledge I can share with you…. If you are ready for it, that is."

The scientist held the radio in his hands. Figuring this must be a dream, he nodded. "Alright. Show me then." He said. In a flash, images, formulas and schematics flooded his mind, showing a machine that would rival that of all modern technologies. Then, as quickly as it all hit him, it stopped. Wilson set the radio on the table and opened his eyes, a wild smile spreading across his face.

* * *

Wilson missed their luncheon the following Tuesday. That wasn't like him. Not at all. Kate was worried that he may have injured himself in an experiment, or was too involved in something to pull himself away. Fearing he would forget to eat, Kate ordered a few baked goods from the café and had them wrapped in a box. She took a cab to the edge of the woods that sheltered Wilson's home from prying eyes. Walking up the dirt trail, she passed the rickety picket fence with the sign that read "Genius at Work." She never knew if he wrote that, or if some kids were playing a joke on him.

Kate walked to the door and knocked. No answer. Seeing light shining from the attic window, where she knew his lab was, she was sure someone was home. She knocked again. Still, no answer. Trying the door knob, she turned the handle and walked in.

Crossing the threshold, she stood in the sitting room, which was as grey, drab and dusty as the rest of the house. Two lone chairs sat in front of a cobweb invested fireplace, indicating no company had visited Mr. Higgsbury in quite some time. She chuckled and called out, "Mr. Higgsbury, are you home?"

Kate heard a scuffle preceded by a thud. She smiled as she heard patter of feet rushing towards the stairs. She stood at the base of the stairs and looked up as a frazzled Wilson came into view.

"Miss Kate. What are you doing here?" He asked. His eyes were dark and he looked exhausted. His hair was frizzed and unruly, which was not normal for him. His clothes were wrinkled and he looked as though he hadn't changed from his normal attire in days.

"It's Tuesday." She said and smiled sadly. "I figured you may have forgotten, so I brought you some lunch." She held the box towards him.

"Oh, Miss Kate, I am so sorry. I must have lost track of time. I… I have been so busy with my work." He said, bringing a hand to his head, embarrassed. He then smiled and took the box. "Thank you for this though."

Kate chuckled. "You're welcome. So, may I see what made my friend miss our date?" She asked and tried to walk up the stairs, past him. Wilson stood in front of her.

"No! No… I'm sorry. Not yet." He said and sighed. "I don't know how safe it is yet. I will need to do a test run before I show anyone. But I promise you will be the first to see it."

Kate nodded. "Alright. Why don't I stop by on Friday. Will that be enough time for the proper tests?" She asked.

"Friday would be perfect. And if you wouldn't mind, I would like to make up for our missed lunch with dinner that evening." He said, smiling again.

Kate nodded. "Alright, Mr. Higgsbury. Friday. Don't forget." She winked and walked down the stairs and to the door. "And please eat what I brought you. It will keep you awake." She said over her shoulder before she left his home.

* * *

The next night, Wilson tightened the last bolt to the machine. He stepped back and admired his work, smiling. He hadn't thought much about what it actually did, but he knew it had to be something extraordinary. After all, he got the idea in a dream. Isn't that how all geniuses got their ideas for world changing discoveries?

Wilson walked to the switch, eager to turn it on. As he reached for the lever to give his contraption life, he hesitated. What if it was something that would do harm? What if it was a weapon, or a portal to another dimension that would bring monsters to this world? His hand rested on the lever as he pondered. It wasn't until a voice shouted "DO IT!" from his once silent radio that made him flinch and pull the lever.

Taking a step back, he watched as the metal machine in front of him sparked, popped and whizzed to life. Something didn't seem right to Wilson as he watched in stunned silence. The top of the machines shot upwards towards the ceiling of the attic, giving the top of the metal monstrosity a face-like appearance, as if it were grinning darkly at him.

Wilson took a timid step back before the shadows under his feet transformed into hands. He tried to reach for the lever to cut the power, but he was dragged down into complete darkness, away from his home and into the void.

When the young scientist came to, he was lying in a grassy meadow, among flowers, bees and tall grass. His head was pounding as his vision began to clear. And then he heard a familiar voice. "Say pal. You don't look so good." It said.

Wilson sat up and looked in front of him to see a man in a brown pinstriped suit with a flower in his lapel. The man had a crooked nose, prominent chin and dark, seedy eyes. He put a cigar to his mouth, smiling at him.

"Who are you?" Higgsbury asked. "Where am I? What the hell was that machine?!"

"I would suggest that you don't waste time with questions. It's going to be dark soon and you are going to need a fire." The dapper man said and with a wide grin, sank into the shadows at his feet, disappearing.

Wilson stared for a moment at where the man stood, in shock. He then got to his feet, and looked around. There was not another person as far as he could see in any direction. Taking the man's advice, he quickly started to forge for supplies. _Once I am established and have a camp set, I will start to figure out a way out of here._ He thought as he gathered wood.


	2. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Chapter Two: Down the Rabbit Hole**

* * *

As promised, Kate made her way to Wilson's home on Friday evening at around 4:00. She wore a dark blue dress under a white wool jacket, her hair pinned up in loose curls. He straightened her dress, eager for her dinner with her dear friend. She knocked on the door and waited for a response. As before, none came. She frowned and entered the unlocked door.

Walking inside the dusty entry way, she looked around to find no lights on in the lower floors, despite the growing darkness from the setting sun. "Mr. Higgsbury, if you have forgotten about another date of ours…" She called up the stairs, a smile on her face. She listened for the usual scuffling of a chair or stool and the light feet of her friend rushing to meet her. When nothing happened, she frowned.

Walking up the stairs, her hand running along the dust covered railing, she called out again. "Wilson? Are you alright?" Still no reply. Her pace quickened, now concerned for him. Once in the attic, she caught her first glimpse of the giant metal monstrosity sitting in the middle of his make shift lab. It looked like a machine, but sat in dark silence. It appeared from the burn marks that the power overwhelmed it and shut it down not long after it was turned on.

Looking about the rest of the room, Kate didn't see Wilson anywhere. She did, however, find papers thrown about his work station. Picking them up, she noticed scribbled drawings of the machine that sat near the station; blueprints, schematics and measurements on how to build it. They were hastily drawn and, if she didn't know him better, would seem like the scrawling of a madman in an asylum.

Placing the drawings back down, she walked in a circle around the machine, deep in though. She knew Wilson wasn't planning any trips, and he would never leave his work like this. Not something he had been obsessing over. Whatever happened to Wilson, this thing had something to do with it. And she was going to figure out what.

Kate took a cab back to her house and pulled out a small shoulder bag. Inside, she slipped a few outfits to change into, some comfortable shoes, and her toiletries, including her hair brush, some perfume and hair pins. As the sun was setting for the evening, she decided to head back to Wilson's first thing in the morning and work on repairing that machine.

The next day, Kate rose and put on a pair of men's overalls and a tee shirt. It was very in-lady like of her to be walking around like that, but if she was going to be doing manual labor, she needed to be comfortable. Slipping on a pair of work boots, she took the short ride to the Higgsbury residence.

Though she was a biologist, she had grown to like gadgets and gizmos due to Wilson's love of them. He had shown her some of the basics of a few of his inventions that never quite worked the way he had intended. Thanks to this rudimentary training, she was able to decipher most of his notes of the mystery machine. She threw her bag down in the big chair in the attic and tied her hair back in a pony tail. Hunching over the table with the drawings, she started to work.

* * *

It had been a few days since Wilson had arrived in this cruel wilderness. A few days scrounging for food and crafting meager tools. And a few nights of restless sleep, cowering near a fire as the darkness around him seemed to watch his every move. He swore, he even saw eyes glowing in the darkness a few times. Surviving on nothing but berries and some pond water was starting to take its toll as well. He was starting to grow thinner than he used to be, and often grew weak from lack of decent nutrition. Through it all, he would set goals for himself every day and try to stay focused on what he needed to do to survive.

A turkey was pecking absentmindedly at a berry bush, enjoying a meal, unaware that a gentlemen scientist was lurking nearby. Wilson crouched low to the ground and walked slowly, silently, towards his prey. He didn't know the first thing about cooking a bird, let alone cleaning one once it was dead. But he needed the protein. Step by step, he drew closer to his prey until *snap* a twig broke under his foot. The turkey spun its head back to look at him. With a loud gobble, the turkey took off. Wilson hurled his spear at it, but missed his target. He tried to give chase, only to lose his breath and fall to his knees, exhausted. He slumped to the ground and rolled to lay on his back, looking up at the eerie grey sky.

 _How am I ever going to make it home at this rate? I missed my date, I am stuck here, and I can't even find something worth eating besides berries._ He thought to himself. He looked over and saw a butterfly land on a red flower near his head. Propping himself up on his elbows, he reached over and picked it. The flower reminded him of Kate and their luncheons at the café. There was always a red flower on their table. A smile crossed his lips as he picked another one, and another. His memories of his walks with her played in his head, calming his nerves and soothing his spirit.

When he final realized what he was doing, he looked down to see that he had taken the flowers he had picked and made a wreath out of them. It was just big enough for his head. He turned it over in his hand and the thought of putting it on crossed his mind. He scoffed at the idea. _What good would that do, anyway? And I would just look ridiculous. On the other hand, who is here to ridicule me? And if it helps me deal with this place…_ He slipped the ring of flowers over his head and sighed.

He clambered back to his feet, dusted himself off and grabbed his spear made of a sharpened stone and a stick. "Well… Back at it." He said to himself and moved on to his next target. That rabbit was going to be his dinner this time.

* * *

Two days. It had been two days of nothing but fixing this blasted machine. Kate had taken the liberty of using Wilson's home and bed to sleep in when she was tired, and cleaned the kitchen up enough to use the stove and prepare food. But other than sleeping and eating, she did nothing but pour over the drawings and fix up the machine.

Finally, it was done. She tightened the last bolt and wiped sweat from her brow. She wiped the grease from her hands onto her overalls and looked at the mass of metal she had reconstructed. Her hand rested on the power switch for only a moment before she threw it to the "On" position. The machine sparked and crackled to life. As Wilson had experienced, the top of the machine jutted up in the air and mimicked a face smiling at her.

Kates face was set in a look of concentration and study, one that her colleagues and students at the university knew all too well. Just then, dark, shadowy hands grew from under her and wrapped around her legs. She reached out to the chair near her and tried to find something to grab on to. Her hand fell on her bag, which was dragged into the abyss with her.

She woke up laying on her back in a meadow, butterflies flying around and landing on stems of freshly picked flowers, their stems still planted in the ground. She sat up with a start, looking around. In front of her stood the same man in a brown striped suit, a cigar in his hand and a wicked smile on his face. "Well well… two birds, one machine. It's my lucky day." He said to her.

Kate tilted her head and looked him over. "And who are you, might I ask?"

"I'm the one you've gotta impress in this place. So do me a favor and don't disappoint. Good luck." He said and disappeared into the shadows.

Kate got to her feet moments later and looked at her surroundings. Trees, grass and a few small ponds were all she could see. Upon closer examinations, she noticed that some of the trees to her right were damaged, as if someone had cut a few down. She approached the stumps and noticed axe marks. Where there was an axe, there was a person. She started to walk in that direction, her bag over her shoulder.

"Hello!" Kate called out as she walked further on. "Anyone here?" Just then, a bush off to her right shook a little. Holding the strap of her bag tightly, she cautiously crouched down. "Is anyone in there?"

A rabbit hopped out of the bush and moved towards her, sniffing the air. She smiled and stretched out her hand to it. It moved its head to her hand and let her pet it. "Well, aren't you adorable? Why were you hiding in that bush, though?" A few branches snapped behind her and the rabbit squeaked before running back into its bush.

Kate stood up straight and looked in the direction of the snapping branches, her stomach in knots. She saw a figure in the shadows, standing tall and thin with a wild mop of hair on his head. "Come on out, right now!" She ordered, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

From the shadows, Wilson walked into the light. His eyes were wide with surprise. "Oh no…. Miss Kate? Is that really you?"


End file.
